


Chain of Flowers

by Lavanya_Six



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ableism, Class Issues, Gen, Infanticide, Mother-Daughter Relationship, Motherhood, Quadruple Drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-10
Updated: 2011-11-10
Packaged: 2017-10-25 22:09:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/275367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lavanya_Six/pseuds/Lavanya_Six
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disappointing your mother is a Bei Fong family tradition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chain of Flowers

Poppy cradled her newborn close, focusing on Toph's wrinkled face instead of Mother's.

"...satisfactory enough manager of your father's estate, certainly, but what good is Lao if he's practically impotent? And after years wasted trying, it's a cripple!"

Lao stood in the corner, head bowed.

"She," Poppy whispered.

"Excuse me?"

Her long labor was almost a blessing, as Poppy's body was too exhausted to tremble at the edge in Mother's voice. "Toph might be a cripple-"

"There's no 'might' about it!"

"But she's still our daughter." Poppy raised her eyes, meeting Mother's and Lao's. "We're _not_ getting rid of anyone."

 

. . .

 

Performing around her friends was easier. They didn't know enough about etiquette to spot mistakes. Not like Mom, always correcting her slightest shortcomings as a proper lady.

With Dad, it was pointless trying. He'd seen her in that arena. Mom hadn't, not that it mattered.

"Your Father tells me you've opened a school."

Toph swallowed her mouthful of pastry before speaking. "Yes."

"Perhaps you could give me a tour one day."

"We're a traveling school."

"So you... rent often?"

 _Like a peasant_ , went the unvoiced criticism.

"Sometimes. Mostly we just walk."

"Walk where?"

"Everywhere."

"I see."

Mom's heartbeat said otherwise.

 

. . .

 

There weren't many rules, growing up. Mom wasn't keen on them. There was only earthbending. Inside the sacrosanct training ring, anything went.

Lin loathed that ring.

By sixteen, she'd watched countless students get bloodied and battered while Mom cheered. No matter Mom's needling about her 'wussiness', Lin recognized bullying and injustice.

So she used a new, secret technique in the ring. Neutralizing her footsteps' vibrations, Lin easily blindsided her old lady with a right hook.

"Not so fun when _you're_ the victim, is it?!"

Mom, clutching her bloodied nose, scowled back.

Shaken, Lin turned and left the ring behind forever.

 

. . .

 

"Aren't interrogations above your pay grade, Mother?"

"Save it," said Chief Bei Fong. "I've got a wagonload of Equalists quoting the Basic Law, thanks to you."

She shrugged as best she could in handcuffs. "Not my fault protesters have rights."

"So do criminals."

"Don't talk like we're Amonists."

"An Equalist is an Amonist is an Equalist, even if they're led by a little idiot with bender envy."

"Oh, don't even--! You people always play that tile, don't you?"

"Only because it's true with you. I hope Equalism makes for a warm blanket in your cell."

"It will!"

And it did.


End file.
